Years Too Late
by Degrassix96
Summary: She was the one that got away. Eli let Clare slip through his fingers and he regretted it ever since. His best friend, Drew, had stepped in and unintentionally swept Clare off her feet. A wedding is being planned and Eli has a plan of his own. Can he stopped Clare and Drew from being married, or will she forever remain the one that got away?
1. Chapter 1

_Summary: She was the one that got away. Eli let Clare slip through his fingers and he regretted it ever since. His best friend, Drew, had stepped in and unintentionally swept Clare off her feet. A wedding is being planned and Eli has a plan of his own. Can he stopped Clare and Drew from being married, or will she forever remain the one that got away?_

A little info about the story:

-Clare, Drew, Eli, and Adam were all friends. You'll read more about it in the story.

-Drew did date Bianca, but the broke up once she moved away.

-Clare and Eli did not have sex at prom meaning Clare never got pregnant.

-Adam does not die; he and Becky broke up, but she NEVER dated Drew.

I guess everything else will be found out as you read. If I confuse you or you have more questions and I missed a piece of information, please feel free to comment or leave me a PM.

A disclaimer for you all - I legally do not own anything but my thoughts of course. Anything Degrassi related is owned by Stephen Stohn.

**_Chapter One: The Sound of a Broken Heart_**

Eli stepped off the plane, looking around and smiling softly to himself. It's been awhile since he's in Canada - five and a half years to be exact. His calling was in New York and he needed a taste of that exciting life. The bright beautiful lights, the crowded streets, and the place where he got the chance to be free.

Although those five years were amazing, something was missing - _someone_ was missing.

One reason Eli had left was to get away from his one true love. His heart was confused at the time and his mind decided to shut up, leaving him to question his decisions. She needed someone better than him; someone who wasn't bipolar. She needed someone who didn't scare her and make her days sunny and rainy at the exact same time. She needed someone stable and that just wasn't him.

After all these years, Eli realized that she was missing. She was a part of his key to happiness and it took him five years to figure that out.

Canada seemed so new to him. Things were definitely different and Eli could sense that.

After moving to New York, Eli cut all ties off. He stopped calling his parents and ignored his two best friends, Adam and Drew. They were all in the "I Heart Clare" committee and Eli couldn't take it. The reason he got away was to forget about Clare; he didn't want to call them and hear things about her.

Eli grabbed his luggages and lugged them to the curb. He looked around for a taxi and flagged one down seconds later. He hopped inside the taxi right after placing his luggages in the trunk.

Home was calling him.

"Oh baby boy, you're home!" CeCe said while pulling her son into a tight embrace. Being able to hug her son after five and a half long years was something so heartwarming.

After releasing him, Eli looked around the house. Things weren't different, but with the parents he had, he wasn't surprised.

"You haven't been returning our calls nor Adam's and Drew's. Even Clare said she couldn't get through to you."

The mentioning of her name sent a pang in his heart. He could just pictured her worried face as she punched his number in the phone and tried to get a hold to him. He can imagine her gnawing on her bottom lip, pacing through her house wondering why he's been unreachable. He hated how he left with no explanation, but he needed to turn his life around and figure out where he wanted to be.

This is where he wanted to be.

"So, Clare you say?" Eli finds himself curious about her. CeCe has loved Clare as if she was her own. He knew that there was no way she'd stop talking to Clare. The two were closer than Clare was with her mom.

"How is she?" He asks.

"Happy," CeCe says before adding, "and engaged."

"Engaged? To whom?" Eli growls. He was too late; five years too late. Someone had snatched up Clare right when he was away and his friends couldn't even warn him about it. Both Adam and Drew knew how he felt about Clare. They knew he was crazy in love with her, but things were complicated. Whenever he got around Clare, it was as if everything had shut off completely and his brain didn't know how to work.

Going away, Eli had hoped that Clare would wait. He hadn't told her in many words, he didn't tell her at all, but he just hoped. He wanted her to still be his when he had gotten back; now it was partially too late.

"Baby boy," CeCe sighs, "you were gone and he picked up her broken pieces. Clarabelle was so hurt when you left. Poor sugar didn't know what to do with herself, but-"

"Who?!" Eli repeated, suddenly getting angry.

"Drew."

...

"So, I was thinking about a blue and white theme. Maybe we can throw in some silver, too," Clare says as she walks around with Drew closely beside her.

After Eli had left them without a goodbye, Clare was devastated. Eli was the guy she thought she'd be doing this with; the guy she thought she'd marry but things changed.

It was the night of Eli's prom. Eli had taken Clare as his date and afterwards, they had plans. Eli took Clare to a hotel and that's when Clare planned on losing her virginity. She was anxious and ready, but when she came back into the room, there was no sign of Eli. He had left without a trace. He didn't even show to his graduation. He had contacted Simpson and asked him to mail his diploma, but wasn't allowed to give anyone his personal info.

Words couldn't begin to describe how Clare felt. She was angry, upset, heartbroken, and felt empty overall.

While Eli had left her with broken pieces, Drew managed to pick them up. He cared for her and tended to her broken heart. She didn't mean to fall for her; but she seen a side to him that she had never saw before. She always looked to Drew as a friend. Although he was more closer to Eli than to her, he was still considered a friend.

Being with Drew sparked something in Clare. He was more mature than she had even imagined and gave her a glow that she has never had with Eli.

"That sounds great, love. Whatever your heart desires."

"This is your wedding, too," Clare says as she playfully nudges Drew. "Have some input on this."

"I love it, Clare. The theme is amazing; it's a fairy-tale theme. It's something you've always wanted."

"I love y-"

"Hey guys," Adam says in his cheery voice. "Look who I found."

Clare's mouth drops to the floor as Adam steps aside. His messy brown hair and his piercing green eyes was the first thing she noticed. Nothing about him has really changed except the fact that he was a bit buffer. His facial features were a little sharper, giving him a more mature look.

Seeing him after all these years managed to hit Clare harder than she thought. She held on to Drew for support; her knees were beginning to buckle. She felt as if her body was beginning to collapse.

"Eli," she and Drew said together.

Drew gulped; it's been years since his best friend had walked out on them. While it had appeared that Adam and Eli were closer, Eli and Drew were closer. When Adam had Whisper Hug practice and Clare would go off writing or watch Adam at practice, Eli and Drew would hang out.

The two of them were very different. While Drew loved to play sports, play with girl's hearts, and slack in school, Eli was more productive. Eli loved writing...plays especially. Eli was more romantic and had his goals for his life. Although the two were different, they were so close. It took them a minute to like each other. At first Eli and Adam were close while Drew was standoffish. He tried to fit in and make friends with the jocks, but a lot of them were assholes. A few of them befriended Drew, but they were cool.

Drew knew how Eli felt about Clare; after all, the guy was madly in love with her. Drew had no intentions of being with Clare, because they were all friends and he was in love with Bianca at the time.

Bianca would hang out with them when she wanted to settle down and stay out of trouble, but once she got her act together and got accepted into college, she left them all behind.

There was a guilty conscious that always nagged Drew whenever he was with Clare. Falling for her wasn't one of his intentions, in fact, he was trying his best not to even be near Clare, but Adam pushed them together.

Poor Adam, always in the middle of things.

"You knew I was in love with her!" Eli growled, charging towards Drew and tackling him to the ground.

Clare gasped and let out a scream, trying to get the two to stop. Never in years had she thought about Eli coming back. He had left them with no goodbye and walked out when she was planning to give him her all. He had no right to come back and get mad. Drew was there for her when Eli disappeared.

Adam jumped in and broke up the fight. Clare ran over towards her fiance, gripping him by the arm, and wiping the blood from his mouth. Her eyes narrowed in on Eli's. The anger in his face scared her and made her feel guilty. He and Drew were close; closer than anyone would have ever thought they'd be. It was hard moving on from Eli, but she was convinced he was not coming back. No one, not even his parents, had heard from him. They were beginning to think that Eli was either dead or decided he wanted nothing to do with them anymore.

"How could you, Clare?" Eli whimpered. "I - I love you and thought that we'd be together. And _you_," he growled, pointing a finger at Drew, "you were supposed to be my friend! I _trusted_ you!"

"You can't come back and expect me to still be waiting for you!" Clare spat angrily. "You left me the night of your prom, _alone_ in the hotel room! I was confused, upset, and angry! I wanted to give you my all, Eli and you just turned me away like I meant _nothing_! Drew cared for me; he helped me and yes, it was wrong, but we're in love! All of this was unintentional; we could not help our feelings."

"We were convinced you weren't coming back," now Adam was the one speaking. "CeCe and Bullfrog hadn't even heard from you. We were all worried sick, Eli, and -"

"Bullshit," Eli scoffs.

"No, the one who is bullshitting is _you_," Drew growls, wiping more blood from his mouth. "You left us, Eli; you left Clare! You didn't think she'd sit around, wasting her life trying to wonder whether you were alive or not? Whether you were coming back or not? How pathetic do you think she is?"

"You don't know shit, Drew!"

"Hey!" the owner of the building shouts as he walks over towards the commotion. "You are making too much noise. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Before leaving, Eli gave the couple a menacing look that made Clare shudder. She clung tighter to Drew as she watched Eli walked away. Adam told them not to worry as he jogged out of the room, following behind Eli. Clare looked over at Drew, her eyes clouding with tears. Drew pulls her into a hug. He starts to wonder if Clare is beginning to have doubts about this wedding. There's no way he can lose her to Eli; surely he's her first love, but Drew has been through a lot with Clare and he wants her as his wife.

No matter what, he was not going to lose Clare to Eli. Although Eli was his old friend, Clare meant too much to him. If they had to fight for Clare then so be it; Drew was not going to give up until he knew that he had won.


	2. Chapter 2

For those of you who celebrate Easter: Happy Easter!

_**Chapter Two: Maybe I can Change Your Mind**_

Eli drove to the park - a public setting that he was meeting Clare at. He's been thinking about this for a couple of days, wondering how to approach Clare and let her know how badly she and Drew had hurt him. It angered him that his "best friend" and the love of his life would go behind his back as if what they had didn't matter. It would have hurt a lot less if it was someone they didn't share a personal connection with.

_Why'd it had to be Drew she was marrying? _Eli thought as he parked his car. He looked over in the passenger seat at the bouquet of tulips he had lying there. Nervously, he grabbed them as he got out of the car and walked towards the park.

He spotted her instantly. Her cinnamon brown hair was blowing in the wind as she sat on the bench, looking absentmindedly ahead. Eli's heart began to pound harder with each step he took. His mouth became sandpaper dry, making it hard for him to swallow. After all these years, this woman still has the same effect on him. She makes him weak and tongue-tied. Sentences are foreign to him whenever she's around.

As he approaches her, he hides the flowers behind his back and clears his throat. Clare looks up at him, her blue eyes glistening in the sun. A small smile spreads across her face and she stands up to smooth out the creases in her skirt.

"Hello Eli," she says softly.

"Hi Clare," he says nervously. "I got you these." Eli pulls the tulips from behind his back, handing them to Clare. "They're your favorite, right?"

"Y-Yeah, of course. Thanks Eli, but you didn't have to bring me -"

"I wanted to," he says, giving her that signature smirk of his. "Want to go for a walk?"

Clare takes the flowers and nods her head, letting Eli lead the way. The park was the only place she and Drew allowed her to meet Eli at. Clare felt that this setting was calming and refreshing. Somewhere like a restaurant or cafe seemed too romantic to her, especially since Eli was the one who invited her out. She knew how his mind worked and she wasn't planning on going somewhere quiet and romantic with him. Her mind and heart was set; she wanted Drew now.

She knew it bothered Drew that she was going to hang out with Eli. Clare could see the worried look on his face. He was afraid that Eli could take her away from him, but she assured him that was not happening. She was in love with him and was sure that he was the one she wanted to marry. Just because Eli came back didn't mean anything. He was not changing her mind and that was final.

"So," Eli starts out, "you and Drew, huh?"

"Yep," Clare smiles. "We didn't mean for it to happen, but it sort of did. Ya' know? We were both each others shoulder to lean on and in between all of that we fell in love and managed to stay together."

Eli felt his blood boil in anger. Hearing Clare said that they fell in love was not something he wanted to hear. He wanted this to be a nightmare that he could wake up from, because that's exactly what it felt like...a nightmare. His "best friend" and the love of his life were getting married. He had to stop this - he needed to stop this before it was too late. Surely Clare wasn't thinking straight during all of this. She was just upset that Eli had left her and Drew was the next thing to him.

"You okay Eli?" Clare asks worriedly.

_No, I'm not okay! You're going to marry my damn best friend knowing I'm in love with you! _Eli thought bitterly.

"No," he admitted honestly, shaking his head. "How could you marry him knowing we have something special?"

"_Had_, Eli. We _had_ something special, but you left me. I was wondering where you went and where I went wrong. I was convinced you didn't love me. After all those years of what we went through, you up and left when I wanted you the most! So don't! Don't question what Drew and I have because you know _nothing_! I am in love with him and I am going to marry him whether you like it or not!"

Tears are now pouring down Clare's face. Eli did not mean to upset her, but he wanted her to see he was hurting, too. After all, this was the woman he had planned on spending the rest of his life with. Knowing that she wanted to be with someone else pained him. It was a pain that was too unbearable.

"You don't mean that," Eli mumbles, tears now sliding down his face. "You don't mean that, Clare. Drew is just a rebound and you know it! You were heartbroken because I left you and you're using him as a substitute, but I'm back, now. I'm back and you do not have to continue to use him."

Clare laughed bitterly, tears still streaming out. "Do you hear yourself? I love him - I am in love with him and I will marry him. The sooner you know that, the better. This conversation is over."

Eli watched as Clare turned around and began to walk away. She stopped by a nearby trash and threw the tulips away. She stormed off, leaving Eli in absolute rage and sadness. How could he get her to change her mind?

...

Drew and Adam sat on the couch watching sports. While Clare was out with Eli, Drew needed do to something to distract him and prevent him from worrying. Every few seconds, he would check his phone and sigh loudly whenever he'd see Clare didn't text or call him. His knee would bounce furiously and his hands would tremble.

What if she changed her mind?

What if she had suddenly realized that he was no good for her and Eli was who she wanted all along?

"Stop worrying," Adam scolds. "You know she loves you."

"But she and Eli has history. She was going to give him her virginity and -"

"She gave it to you, didn't she?" Adam asks and Drew nods.

"She said yes to marrying you, right?" Again, Drew nods.

"So stop worrying about whether she gets back with Eli or not. She loves you Drew and wants to spend the rest of her life with you. Your wedding is two months away and her heart is set. Do not -"

Adam is cut off by the front door opening. Clare comes in, hysterically crying. Drew stands up and Clare runs into his arms, immediately soaking his shirt with her tears.

"What happened?" Drew and Adam asks at the same time.

"He just infuriates me!" she screams. "How dare he come back into my life and think he can win me back! He thinks your my rebound Drew," she shakes her head and continues, "I hate that he came back. I wish he hadn't."

"It's gonna be okay, Clare," Adam says. "I'll go talk to him, again."

Adam stands up and leaves. Drew kisses Clare on the forehead and strokes her hair to calm her down. She wipes away her tears and pulls Drew into a passionate, heated kiss. Her heart beats and her fingers tremble as she tugs Drew shirt, signalling for him to take it off. He breaks the kiss momentarily as he swiftly pulls his shirt off and tosses it aside.

Without making it to the bedroom, they shed their clothing off and make love in the living room. After it's over, Clare feels guilty for making love to her fiance and thinking of Eli the entire time.

...

Adam drives to Eli's parents house. He called him after leaving Clare and Drew's place to let him know that he was coming to talk.

Ever since Eli came back, Clare and Drew have been walking around frantically. Both of them meant a lot to Eli and seeing that they were getting married did hurt Eli. Like the couple, Adam thought Eli wasn't coming back. He left them all without any explanation and now he's back leaving them to question whether they should get married or not.

Adam wants his best friend and his brother together. They make a perfect couple and were there for each other when they needed someone. After Bianca left Drew, he was devastated. He planned on marrying her, but she wanted to go her own way. Then, the night of the Seniors prom, Eli left Clare. She was willing to lose her virginity to him and he left her alone in the hotel room.

Adam remembers that night perfectly, because Clare came to their house in tears. She said Eli was gone and she couldn't reach him because his phone was off. Since Dallas wasn't coming home that night, Adam allowed Clare to sleep down in his room. She begged Adam to stay with her and they talked about it until she fell asleep. The look in his best friend's face pained him. He wondered where Eli had disappeared to and why did he leave Clare. The next day, the two of them went to Eli's parents house and asked if they had seen Eli. They told Clare and Adam that Simpson called them about fifteen minutes ago and told them Eli requested his diploma be sent by mail and that he wouldn't be able to attend graduation.

Adam parked in front of the Goldsworthy's house and got out of his car. He walked on the porch and rang the doorbell, shoving his hands in his pockets. The door swung open and stood Bullfrog with a gentle smile on his face.

"Video Game Kid," Bullfrog greets.

Adam laughs. Bullfrog still manages to call him his nickname he gave him when he and Eli had first became friends.

"Hey Bullfrog."

"Come on in. Eli's up in his room. Be careful; he's mad."

"Thanks for the warning," Adam says as he goes in the house and into Eli's room.

Adam pushes open the door to see Eli lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. From the doorway he can see tears are sliding down Eli's face.

"She doesn't love him like she loves me," Eli speaks softly, his voice cracking. "I can see it in her eyes."

"Eli, stop -"

"She loves me, Adam. She's just using him."

Adam shakes his head and asks, "Have you been taking your meds Eli?"

"See, that's what you don't know. I don't need them anymore, Adam."

Eli turns towards Adam, giving him a crazed look. "I'm perfectly fine."

"I don't think you are, Eli."

"I am, Adam, trust me." Eli lets out a maniacal laugh. "Trust me."


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for taking the time to review and follow along with the story. As I write, I'm debating whether this story should end with Clew or EClare. Trust me, I am team both. I love Clare with both guys and I wanted to see a little more spark between her and Drew.

Anyway...are you team Clew or team EClare? Let me know in the comments.

* * *

**_Chapter Three: Is it Worth It?  
_**

* * *

Eli stared at the ceiling, tossing the stuffed animal that he had up in the air and catching it repeatedly. After growing bored and agitated, he sat up and threw the stuffed animal.

The pain was infuriating. How could Clare do this to him? To them? How could she think about marrying Drew?

Flashes of Clare wearing a wedding gown and walking down the aisle with a grin on her face. Eli imagines her walking towards Drew, who has tears streaming down his face. When she reaches him, their hands entwine and both of them are full of emotion. They lean in to kiss and that's what makes Eli's heart shatter.

The thought of _his_ Clare putting her lips on another man - who was supposed to be his best friend - breaks him and makes him want to crumble.

A knock appears on his bedroom door, but Eli can't bring himself to even give whoever it is permission to come in.

After moments of waiting, the door opens, revealing Drew. His hands are stuffed in his pocket and an awkward smile is placed on his face. It took him a minute to collect his thoughts and bring himself to come to the Goldsworthy's place. The moment CeCe opened the door, guilt washed over him. He didn't mean to intentionally fall in love with Clare, but while trying to mend each others broken heart, they managed to fall in love. Neither of them thought about Eli coming back and to find them getting married. They assumed he wasn't coming back and it wasn't fair to let love slip away.

"What are you doing here?" Eli growls through clenched teeth.

"Look," Drew starts off, never stepping foot in the room, "we never meant to hurt you."

"But _you_ did! You both did. You hurt me! You knew Clare was the one for me; she was the girl I planned on marrying!"

"Then you left, Eli! Clare was confused and hurt and she didn't know what to do. I was heartbroken about Bianca leaving me and we were each others shoulder to cry on! We never meant to hurt you, Eli. I felt guilty falling in love with Clare, because I thought that this was wrong; this is my best friend's girl. He will come back, but you didn't. You didn't come back and that left us thinking that there was nothing else we could do."

"That's no excuse!" Eli barks, jumping out of his bed and storming towards Drew. He jabs his chest with his finger. "You. Were. Supposed. To. Be. My. FRIEND!"

Drew shakes his head. It was a mistake coming here and trying to rationalize things with Eli. It was clear that he had made up his mind: he thought of him and Clare as bad people. He thought of them as untrustworthy people and that they weren't loyal.

Drew couldn't help how he felt about Clare. He was in love with her and the feelings were mutual. Eli couldn't look past the fact that he and Clare found love through pain. He looked at the fact that they were backstabbers and that made Drew question his decision. Was proposing to Clare the best choice? Did he really want to lose his friendship over the girl that they both had fallen for?

..

The Dot was always the place Clare loved to come whenever she was in desperate need of a good talking and great coffee. Spinner was still the manager of The Dot, but there was new people working here. It was every so often that Spinner would come inside to have a look.

Clare called up her two girl best friends, Alli and Jenna, to see if they would come meet her at the cafe. She needed her girls to talk to her and comfort her. This past few days have been hectic every since Eli came back. Her feelings were jumbled all over the place and she felt guilty for even thinking about whenever she was _with_ Drew. She felt guilty that she and Drew were happy in love while Eli was sulking in misery and betrayal.

The ding of the bell signaled that the door to the cafe was being opened. Clare turned around to see both her best friends coming into The Dot. She waved them over when they caught sight of her and they skipped to the table. They took their seats and looked over at Clare, wondering why she had invited them here today.

"I know I've been distant for a few days and I apologize, guys," Clare says with a sigh as she fiddle with her fingers. "It's just that I've had a lot on my mind ever since..." her voice began to trail off and her lip started to quiver.

"Since what?" Jenna asks softly. "What's wrong, Clare?"

Clare was sure Alli knew, because Drew always kept in touch with Dallas. Whatever Drew told Dallas, Dallas told Alli.

"Eli's back," Clare whispers.

That was all it took for Jenna and Alli to gasp. They knew that trouble was going to start with Eli being back. They knew how close Eli and Drew were and how much Clare meant to Eli.

"How did he react?" Alli asked.

The waitress came over to their table to take their order. Clare ordered a latte while Jenna and Alli ordered food and shakes. It seemed as if Clare was not that hungry today. She had too much on her plate and there was no room for food.

"Not good. He's hurt and it makes me feel guilty. I - I didn't mean to hurt him, but I can't help that he left and that Drew decided to pick up the pieces _he_ left behind! Now that he's back, he's _all_ I can think about - even when Drew and I...you _know_," Clare blushes.

"Oh Clare," Alli says softly. "What are you going to do?"

"I can't leave Drew - I love him; I am in love with him. He was there for me when Eli wasn't. Eli left me when I was willing to give him my virginity. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, but he left with no words to even express how sorry he felt! Although Eli and I had history, Drew and I have chemistry. We're perfect for each other."

"Sounds like you already made your choice."

Clare froze. That voice didn't come from Alli nor Jenna; it was Eli.

Clare stood up and turned around, facing Eli. His eyes were filled with disappointment and sadness. In his hands were a bouquet of flowers.

"I saw you as I was walking to the comic store. I thought that I could buy you flowers and try to change your mind, but you've made up your mind. I guess trying to win you from Drew isn't worth it."

Eli threw the flowers on the floor and walked away. Clare's mouth was hanging open and tears welled in her eyes. She blinked them away as she looked down at the crumpled flowers.

_Was it worth it?_


End file.
